Winter Festival
by Satashi
Summary: When two of Vivio's friends ask her to a winter dance, the girl is put in a spot where she has to pick one or the other. With Nanoha there to help her, a teenage Vivio discovers just how she feels about her friend.
1. Chapter 1

Moving from the stove top, I checked the oven once more to make sure the dinner I was cooking for my daughter wasn't going to be burned while I set the table. Raising Heart told me that it still needed another two degrees before being finished so I nodded and went to get the plates. My daughter had chosen to ignore my first call to dinner so I decided that she was probably too excited about the upcoming dance to notice. I pondered if she had a date yet and flashed back to the few boys who had nervously stood at my doorstep while waiting for Vivio to finish preparing for her date. A light chuckle came and I shook my head, figuring that if Vivio had a date, I'd know by now. I turned my attention back to the baking food and removed it from the oven when my floating device told me to. A few monitors slid away from my view and I smiled down at the perfectly cooked meal. I was pleased with it, and I had improved drastically in my cooking ever since I stepped down from active duty. Turning to look at the stairs leading up to the top half of our house, I tried to contact Vivio again to get her down for dinner. Again my call was ignored, so I started walking to my daughter's room to see what was keeping her.

**Winter Festival**

**By:**

**Satashi**

"Vivio?" Nanoha's voice came as she peeked her head into her teenage daughter's room, seeing the girl laying face down on the bed. "I've been trying to contact Kris for a few minutes now, it's time for dinner."

"I'm not really hungry," the reply was muffled by a feather stuffed pillow. No other words were said, but Nanoha still walked over and sat down on the bed. The teen felt a hand on her back so she moved to rest her cheek onto her pillow. Looking up at the curious expression on her mother, Vivio let out a small sigh. "Mama... I feel strange."

"Tummy ache?" Nanoha asked lightly, trying to remember if she made sure her daughter got her flu shot this year.

"No... It's just..." A small sigh made her hair flutter up and fall back onto her face. "The winter dance is coming up soon, you know?"

Nanoha felt a small frown come onto her face, which was quickly repressed. "Yes?" She tried to sound encouraging, knowing full well that Vivio was wanting to go rather bad.

"I..." Closing her eyes, she tried to voice her feelings. "I got a letter in my shoe locker today."

"Oh?" Nanoha's hand lightly scratched Vivio's back.

"Einhart... She asked me to go with her in a letter..." Reaching out slowly, she pulled the letter from under her pillow and lifted it up.

Nanoha took the letter and looked at it with a smile. The stationary was a bright blue and white with snowflake designs. Perfectly written letters were neatly on the lines in a graceful calligraphy style, making the mother pleased at how much time was spent writing the letter to her daughter. The message itself was rather long, but strangely to the point, addressing the fact that Einhart was humbly requesting a _real_ date. The ending confirmed that a turn down would be understood and respected but wanted the chance to try and develop a closer relationship with her if possible. "It's a lovely letter," Nanoha finally spoke. "She must have written it several times."

"I know," Vivio's voice wasn't very happy, which only made Nanoha more confused.

"Are you afraid it might not end well and hurt your friendship?" Nanoha went back to rubbing her daughter's back encouragingly.

"No, it's not that... I read it after school while waiting for Syn to walk home with me. Einhart ran ahead of course...But..." Red and green eyes turned to look up at her mother. "Syn... asked me to go with her while we were walking home together."

"Oh," Nanoha's eyes widened slightly in realization.

"Syn... doesn't like dances. She actually wasn't planning on going to it at all."

"What made her change her mind?"

Vivio took a long inhale through her nose. "She knew Einhart asked me..." The hand on her back stopped moving, so she confirmed the thought before it could be voiced. "Syn... told me she didn't like the idea of me going with somebody else."

"That's..." Nanoha felt a little bit of annoyance towards the blue haired girl. "Not really a fair thing to say."

"That's just how Syn is," Vivio defended her friend. "It was okay when other people asked me but... She knows Einhart really wanted me to go with her as more than a friend and... I think she's worried that if I start dating Einhart then I won't have time for her anymore. Syn's really girly deep on the inside, even if she doesn't show it. In her own way, she is telling me that she wants to be my significant other without actually saying it."

"I see..." Nanoha wished, more than ever, that becoming a parent came with the answer book to all of her daughter's potential problems. "What do you think about this?"

"I don't know what to think... They're both my best friends, and all at once it just..." Another sigh came and she closed her eyes again, resting on her pillow. "…Became so complicated.""

The mother kept her eyes on her daughter lying on the bed and tried not to sigh as well. "How long do you have to answer?"

"The dance is this weekend."

This time Nanoha gasped. "That doesn't give us long at all!" She thought fast, going over picking out a dress, matching things to go with it since Vivio didn't have any formal wear, and trying to think if they could get her a make-over in time. Once she got over the fact that she was jumping the gun a little bit, she settled down enough to re-address the situation. "Okay... Do you... feel for either of them?" The idea of Vivio going on a date was nothing new to her, as the girl had been out a handful of times with random people, but the thought of her little girl actually _developing_ feelings was something she hadn't pondered on much at all.

Vivio didn't answer at first. Instead, she gave a small hum to encourage the comforting back scratching to resume. After a few moments went by, Vivio opened her eyes to look across her bed and over at the picture on her nightstand that showed her with all of her friends. "The thought of turning either one down and making them sad really makes my chest hurt, but lying to either one also feels bad... Mama... I think I like both of them." Nanoha felt her heart break when Vivio's helpless expression went up at her, honestly expecting for the mother to have the answer ready to give. "What do I do?"

"I... I think..." Nanoha tried to force a smile. "I think right now you are putting too much on yourself. Come downstairs with me and try to eat a little bit and calm down. Once you've had a moment to settle you can look at the situation with a new perspective."

The daughter slowly nodded and pushed herself up from her bed before being helped to her feet. "Okay... I'll give it a try."

~**~

Nanoha looked over at her daughter as she started moving the plates from the dining room table to the kitchen. Although Vivio had managed to eat a little more than half her meal, Nanoha knew that she had forced some of it. "Vivio," the name made her daughter look up at her with a sad but attentive face. "I didn't ask, but does Einhart know that Syn asked you as well?"

"Probably," Vivio answered lightly while picking up her plate as well. "Syn's the type to make sure that Einhart wouldn't think she was going behind her back. The two are probably arguing on the phone right now about it."

"I see..." Nanoha offered a weak smile. "Regardless of which one you take, you're going to the dance, right?"

"I... Yeah." Vivio nodded and placed her platter onto the kitchen counter.

"If you think it might be better," Nanoha tried to sooth her daughter a little more by putting her hands onto her shoulders. "You could turn them both down and request to go as friends. The situation won't go away, but it will give you more time to think about this."

"Yes, but..." Vivio let her eyes fall a moment before turning to look over her shoulder and at her mother. "They both addressed me knowing what it could lead to, so I'd feel as if I were running away if I did that."

With a proud smile, Nanoha gave her teenager a squeeze before letting her go. "Okay. In that case, we can go shopping tomorrow to get you all fixed up."

Vivio felt her lips turn up just a little. "Thank you but I don't really think a make-over would fit me. Beauty salons make me feel a little weird."

"Who said we were going to one of them?" Nanoha held up a finger. "I'm going to invite Hayate-chan over." What Vivio thought was a joke made her perk up a little. "Good, you smiled. Don't think that this can't be resolved; I know you'll make the right choice, Vivio." The mother started ushering Vivio to the back door. "Don't stay out too long practicing okay? It's cold outside so be sure to go to the gym tonight."

"Yes mama," Vivio looked over her shoulder and gave a small smile. After a short wave, Vivio left the house and started jogging down the neighborhood. The normal shortcut through a neighbor's yard was taken with permission and she waved to the children still playing in the snow despite the rapidly setting sun. After only a few minutes of jogging, the large building came into view and the blonde doubled her steps to clear the parking lot faster. Once the doors opened she felt a gust of warm air wash over her and a content sigh came out at the feeling. Her ID was scanned to grant her access via Kris flying down over the designated section. Once completely inside the gym she looked around to see if Nove or any of her friends were visible.

When nobody she personally knew was spotted, she nodded to herself in appreciation of being able to practice on her own while thinking on her current situation. Her feet lead her to the changing room and her rented locker was opened so she could change into her gear. The pads and outfit were looked at briefly before being changed into them, bringing back memories of when she had gotten the training gear to begin with. '_Almost a year ago,_' she thought back fondly. '_Einhart bought me this because my old training gear started weakening and getting too tight on my growing body..._' A soft hue of crimson came to her cheeks. '_It took almost all of her savings to get me the entire set, but she still got it for me despite knowing that my Mama could easily afford it..._'

After strapping her protective padding over her arms and flexing her fingers, the teen made her way to the Strike Arts section of the gym. Not many people were on the mats that night, allowing her to easily claim the work out equipment she wanted. A practice dummy was approached and Vivio tapped the wooden arms a few times to test how it spun before slowly increasing her pace. '_Einhart showed me how to use these all those years ago... Nove was always a one-on-one instructor it seems..._'

Her movements sped up at a steady pace, slapping the arms of the dummy around and blocking the limbs that came at her. Instinctively the girl lapsed into a Kata, her body moving on its own. '_How long has it been now anyway? _' Her breathing started to get heavier, hands and legs moving faster and harder. '_Several years... I wonder how long ago they started having feelings for me?_' Finishing the warm up, she took a step back and inhaled to steady herself. '_I never even noticed..._'

A few moments later Vivio found herself practicing other Katas on the mat, moving and twirling her body with grace and ease that came with the years of dedication she had put into her Arts. '_Syn surprised me... I know she really cares about me, but I never knew it could possibly be romantic... I guess my parents started that way as well, they never considered it until Nanoha-mama adopted me._' Relating her situation to her parents gave her a little bit of confidence. '_But Einhart is there as well, and she obviously wants me to take her seriously... I can't even begin to imagine what is going on in her mind. Didn't her ancestor love my original self? She's a descendant, but I'm literally a clone of Olivie... Are her feelings hers or what she thinks are hers? _' Vivio's motions became weaker as her mind wandered. '_She must be worrying so much right now, she's the type to be so strong on the outside but really just wants to be loved on the inside... I hope she isn't waiting by her phone._'

Once her body started to sweat in the warm air of the gym, Vivio decided to simply lift some weights since her mind was losing focus on her movements. Two dumbbells were taken and she positioned her body with her legs slightly apart so she could cross down and touch her toes with the weights. '_Syn is probably thinking about how suddenly she acted, asking me. Are her feelings really love or is she just scared about losing me as a best friend? Fate-mama was worried about Aunt Hayate for a while but they're still so close they're like sisters now... But at the same time, I can't dismiss her as a friend without really knowing what she's thinking._' A long sigh came paired with swapping to another position. '_Just this morning I wasn't worrying about anything other than gently turning down the guys who asked me out, now I'm panicking over which friend I should take... Ugh, I don't even know how I feel about them in a romantic way..._'

A look at the large clock on the wall let her know her hour long workout would be ending soon. Replacing her weights, she went back to the locker room to reclaim her clothes and spray her uniform with a spritz bottle of cleaner. Once she wiped her sweat off with a towel, she looked up at Kris. '_I really need to talk to them to find out more before I can decide…_'

The cold outside air felt as if it froze the sweat still lingering on Vivio's body. An instant shiver wracked her, making the blonde jog the entire length home. Opening the front door, Vivio was greeted with the scent of fresh wassail brewing and gave a smile at the thought of drinking some. As she walked to the kitchen she heard Nanoha wishing Fate a farewell and saw the monitor close down just as her feet touched the tile on the floor. "Was that Fate-mama?"

"Mm," Nanoha answered with a nod. "I was just... checking in with her."

"I see," moving to inhale the scent of the Christmas time hot drink, she looked at the pink liquid bubbling. "Is it ready?"

"It needs to boil for a while longer. Why don't you run take a shower and get a cup when you're out?"

"Okay," Vivio agreed with those terms and went upstairs to her room to pick out some clothes to change into. Deciding on a festive pair of red pajamas with mistletoe print, she made her way to the bathroom. Moments passed and soon she found herself under the warm spay of water. '_Nanoha-mama was probably asking Fate-mama for advice on what I should do..._' Turning around so the water hit her back, Vivio bent over to get some shampoo onto her hands. '_Not even Mama has advice for me... I really do have to figure this out for myself._'

Hot water washed down Vivio's back steadily as she rinsed the soap from her hair in preparation for conditioner. '_I can't put this off very long, the dance is only a few days away... Thank goodness none of us are on the student council overseeing it, so at least no school until then._' Moving her lufa over her shoulders and chest, Vivio leaned back against the shower wall. '_I think I know where Syn stands, but Einhart really shocked me... The way she wrote her letter makes me wonder just how much she cares for me... It almost seems as if she was confused herself, but was serious about wanting me to accept her..._' Lifting her head to avoid soap getting into her eyes, she rinsed her hair once more and allowed the water to take the soap off her body as it ran down her skin. After a few more moments of wiping down her body, she cut the water off and pulled the curtains back to step onto the fluffy mat outside the tub.

Ten minutes later, Vivio sat down on her bed and brought a pink mug of wassail to her lips to carefully sip on the scalding liquid. "Ahhn...That's good." The words helped combat the silence of her room. Mis-colored eyes skimmed the area out of habit, skipping from her bookshelf to the rarely ever used gaming system her aunt had spoiled her with. '_Normally I would call my friends to pass the time when not studying or reading._' The thought made her shift back onto her bed and wiggled her legs under the covers to find some warmth. '_Rio and Corona are away with their families, so that leaves Einhart and Syn._' Turning to look at Kris, Vivio asked her question aloud. "What do you think, Kris? Ein or Syn?" Her device raised its right hand up to cast his vote for her. "Einhart, huh?" Leaning against her headboard, Vivio pulled the covers to her waist and took another sip of her drink. "Call her for me?" A monitor appeared before her and Einhart's name came up on it for only a few seconds before the girl's face appeared. '_She really was waiting for a call,_' Vivio thought with a smile. "Hey, hope it's not too late for a call?"

"Not at all," Einhart replied back quickly, moving from her desk to her bed. "So... Hi."

"Hi," Vivio felt her cheeks color when her friend fidgeted lightly. "Uhm... I got your letter."

"Mmn," Einhart nodded. "Syn contacted me earlier about it."

"What did she say?"

The silver-green haired girl crossed her legs Indian style and held onto her ankles to get comfortable. "That she asked you as well, and wanted to be honest about it."

"That's Syn for you," Vivio felt herself grinning for a moment.

Einhart looked away shyly. "I hope I didn't upset you today?"

"No, no..." Vivio took a moment to sip on her drink once more. "That's kind of why I called you." Waiting for Einhart to look at her again, Vivio took a steadying breath and shifted the mug in her hands. "It was really sudden... I don't have an answer for you yet but... Can I ask something?" A nod encouraged her to go on. "What made you decide to ask me now of all times?"

"I thought you would ask that," Einhart replied softly. Her own heterochromic eyes looked down at her lap while she shifted nervously on her bed. "I guess it started a while ago, actually. You know how I've had memories from the past?" She glanced up just long enough to see her friend nod. "I always thought that my attraction to you was because of that. I never considered it romantic before, but I've always felt really close to you for some reason... A little while ago I started having dreams again, but this time..." Leaning forward, Einhart looked down even more, the tips of her ears starting to turn red. "They... weren't about Ingvalt and Olivie, but rather...You and me."

Vivio felt shocked by this sudden announcement, but at the same time a little flattered as well. "Oh... I-I see."

"I didn't know how to take it," Einhart continued, now looking up at Vivio on her monitor. "I felt so confused, like my feelings from the past were starting to come into my life now... It was as if my past was haunting me again, like when we first met." A small silence overcame the conversation while the girl tried to steady herself again. "I didn't want that to change how I felt about you, because this is _my _life, and you are _my_ friend. I guess... That was what made me finally realize that I was so upset because my feelings are real. I want to like you because I like you, and not because my past tells me I should... I'm sorry, this is a lot to put on you all at once. I wrote the letter because I thought it would be a welcome buffer to this conversation."

"I see..." Vivio looked down into her cooling mug of wassail and inhaled its scent deeply while drinking a gulp of it. The warmth soothed her throat and made her sniff lightly. Her spirits lifted a little after hearing her friend's full thoughts and the uneasiness of it lessened just a little. "Thank you for being honest with me."

"I hope I didn't offend you?"

"No, not at all... I'm still just a little shocked by everything. But," She smiled at Einhart honestly. "I feel better now, knowing how you really feel. I don't have an answer for you right now, but I promise I will think about it, okay?"

"Yes," Einhart felt a large weight lift off of her shoulders. "Thank you, Vivio. I'm sorry you got put in such an awkward situation because of me."

"Don't apologize for that, it's not your fault." Vivio shook her head lightly. "Is it okay if I give you an answer in a day or two?"

"Yes," A nod came with her reply. "I'm sure you have lots to think about, and not just me. Just know that I respect you very much and... If you say no, then I hope our friendship won't suffer from this."

Vivio felt her blush return, and she spoke back in a soft tone. "If I did say no, I would still feel closer to you than before, Einhart." Her words made her friend look surprised for a moment before calming down and smile sweetly at her.

"You're the best friend a girl could ask for, Vivio."

"Thank you." Vivio sat her mug on her headboard and smiled at Einhart honestly. "I'm going to sort my feelings out as well, please be patient for me?"

"Okay. I'm sure Syn will understand as well, so don't put so much pressure on yourself on our accounts. We talked earlier and agreed that if you wanted to put this off, we would both understand."

'_Nanoha-mama understands my friends more than I thought,_' Vivio felt her spirits lift just knowing that she would be alright after this was over. "Okay. I'll talk to Syn a little later as well. For now, I think I'm just going to get a little bit of rest. It's been an exciting day, ne?"

Einhart nodded in agreement. "It has, I almost had a heart attack after I finally slid the letter in your shoebox." The two shared a giggle together at the thought. "I'll talk to you later, Vivio. Sweet dreams."

"You too, Ein." Giving each other a small wave, the communication was cut off. '_That wasn't as bad as I thought it would be._' Vivio shifted so she could lay down in her bed, letting Kris cut off the lights for her. "Tomorrow Nanoha-mama will want to take me shopping... I wonder what I should wear to the dance"

~**~

Vivio felt a small shaking to her shoulder and groggily opened her eyes. Nanoha was smiling down at her with the morning sun outlining her figure. "Wake up sleepy head," She teased happily. "You slept in an hour already."

"But," Vivio's voice was a little rasp from having been just woken up. "I don't have any plans today."

"We're going shopping." Nanoha went to Vivio's closet to pick out some clothes for her. "You need a dress, right?"

Realizing that her mother was right, Vivio nodded and rubbed her eyes. "I do; thanks Mama." She was handed a snug fitting black long sleeved shirt and a pink fleece vest to go on top of it. The clothes were given to her last Christmas by Fate, and the daughter had deemed them one of her favorite combos for winter wear. Taking them, she plucked a pair of blue jeans from the back of her computer desk chair. "I'll be down in just a bit."

"Okay, but don't take too long, we have a lot of shops to hit today." Nanoha closed the door behind herself.

Almost fifteen minutes later Vivio found herself looking out the passenger window of the family car. Although she didn't really need a car herself, she rather liked the sporty looking van that her parents had swapped a sports car for. She could barely remember Fate driving a customized black car that she heard was rather fast. When they began going places as a group, however, the two seater car just couldn't handle it anymore. After some conversing with Nanoha, Fate had made the swap and decided that it was time that she realized she wasn't a teenager anymore. The memory made Vivio grin to herself and she looked over to her mother. "Ne, where are we going?"

"Well," Nanoha made a motion at a stop sign to let the people standing on the sidewalk know she would wait for them to cross. "It's a formal dance, right?" A light hum let her know she was right. "Well then we'll go to the shop that normally supplies the dresses for our formal meetings at the base. They have a really huge selection and know me."

Vivio looked back out the window, voicing her thoughts aloud. "You always rent dresses, why don't you just buy one?"

"Because I need to wear different ones depending on the situation and atmosphere. If I'm going to escort someone as a bodyguard, then my dress needs to match their suit. This is so much easier."

"Oh... that makes sense." The girl leaned back in her seat. "I'm glad at least one of us has experience. I never thought about it before, but my clothes are a little tom boyish."

"You don't need dresses to practice Strike Arts, come onto the military base, or even work out for that matter. It makes sense not to have one." Nanoha blinked, suddenly realizing something. "Your ears aren't pierced either, are they?"

"No?" Vivio looked at her mother. "I wasn't really planning on having it done."

"Are you not going to wear earrings to the dance?"

"Clip ons?"

"They are so tacky though." Nanoha teased. "Come on, don't be scared."

"I-I'm not _scared_!" Vivio puffed out her cheeks and crossed her arms. "I just never thought about it before." Looking back out the window, she watched cars go by in the town. '_But the girls were so serious about this, and Einhart probably wrote her letter so many times...Maybe I should do a little something extra._' A light sigh came out. "Okay, I'll think about it."

Nanoha seemed pleased at the thought of her daughter growing up a little more, even if the situation was a little forced on her. "I have some really pretty ones you would love." Her wrist flicked the blinker on and she parked the car in front of a classy store with large glass frontal windows. "Here we are."

"Mama..." Vivio got out of the car and had to trot a few steps to catch up. "This place looks really expensive."

"I have military discount, come on." She gave a playful wink and opened the door for her daughter. "What did you have in mind?"

"I don't know, I was just expecting to wear something nice before I had a date." Looking around, she tried to take in the absurd amount of formal attire. "Oh wow..." Nanoha took a bright pink dress off of a rack and held it up to show to Vivio, who smiled nervously. "Mama, I like pink, but I don't think it will match anybody's dress at the dance…"

"I guess you're right." Nanoha put it back down and smiled at a saleswoman who offered to help them. "My daughter needs a dress for a school sponsored, winter themed dance at the church."

The woman nodded happily. "I see. Well then, miss, did you have anything specific in mind?"

Vivio gave a helpless grin. "I really don't know."

"Well then, my name is Tasha and I will help you find out just what you want." The woman inspected Vivio. "Do you know your size?" Getting a shaking of the head, Tasha reached to her hip to pull out some measuring tape for tailoring. "Well I guess we'll start here."

Nanoha nodded at Vivio as the teen was lead away to a place with more room and began inspecting different types of dresses that she thought would look nice on her daughter. A few were picked up and inspected before being placed back down and taking note where they went so she could find them later. A few moments passed and Vivio came back to her, slightly red in the face. "Always fun to find out exactly how big you are isn't it?" Nanoha teased her at once.

"Not funny." Vivio pouted, still blushing. "She said there were a lot of dresses to fit my figure, but I would have to have one tailored to me if it was too tight... around my chest."

Nanoha nodded, expecting this. "You did develop rather fast; I guess it makes up for my size." Ignoring her daughter's sudden fit about saying something like that aloud, Nanoha put a hand on her hip. "Okay, time to make up your mind so we can start. What style?"

"I... don't know." Vivio shifted nervously. "What do you mean style?"

"Do you want something to show off your curves? Something to draw attention to yourself, do you want to blend in, or have people compliment you?"

"I guess something that stands out a little."

Nanoha nodded, putting a hand to her chin. "Show any skin?"

"Well..." Vivio felt the blush already on her cheeks grow just a little worse. "Yes, a little bit, but..." She crossed her hands over her chest. "I'm a little shy about anything with cleavage..."

Nanoha nodded. "Good, saves me worry as a mama." Catching Tasha's eye, she got attention and gave her request. "Can we see your backless dresses in her size?" The two were lead over to a section of the wall and were shown what area Vivio would be interested in. "Thank you," Nanoha smiled and started looking along with her daughter. "Color?"

"Uhm... Well, black fits me."

"Just like Fate-mama," Nanoha mused.

Vivio looked at the selection embarrassedly, picking out dress after dress to observe before replacing it. Several minutes passed by quickly as a handful of them were picked out before being tried on one by one. Despite being embarrassed by being turned into a dress-up doll, Vivio found herself actually enjoying the time spent with her mother. Comments and advice was given freely, turning into happy chatter while changing clothes. It only seemed like a little while for the excited girl, but when she found a dress that she simply loved, she realized that she had been trying on clothes for almost an hour and a half. "Thank you, Mama," Vivio spoke up while putting on the new dress. "For spending so much of your day off with me."

"That's why I took a vacation day," Nanoha waved it off while waiting outside of the little dressing room Vivio was changing in. After a few more moments, Nanoha started to giggle at the frustrated sounds coming from the room. "Having trouble?"

"I can't get it to clip," Vivio mused with another small grunt. "Can you help me?"

"Sure," Nanoha waited for the door to click and slipped in quickly. Vivio was standing before her in a black dress that went to her mid thigh, but had several layers coming from the sides of her waist that went down in a fashionable wave before peaking at the girl's knees to give it a much more modest appearance. The fabric clung to her sides and flared out for her chest before turning up into a mimic of the lower design for her neck to cover more of her breasts. "It looks fantastic," Nanoha breathed out.

"I can't get it to clasp behind me," Vivio turned around, showing the back of her dress. The design was almost the same as the front, but was a lot smoother, running to the back of her knees before going up just enough to cover her rear before splitting to show her entire back. Her sides were covered up to the base of her shoulder blades before the black fabric started to very gently arc back to close together in a small clasp right at the base of Vivio's neck. Nanoha took the sides from her daughter and clipped it together easily for her. Turning around, Vivio observed herself in the mirror while voicing her thanks. A small pose was struck and she turned, beaming at her revealed back and the daring design that dipped so low. "Oh wow… I love it, mama!"

"It fits you," Nanoha agreed, letting Vivio turn around for her. "Are you sure about the back? We can use pins to make it close sooner."

"No, I like it," Vivio looked again, pulling the back down just a scant inch to reveal her panties, then covered them while tracing the noticeable line. "Hmmm…"

"You won't notice once you're in a thong."

"Oh," Vivio nodded. "I see-wait did you say _thong_?"

"Of course, you'll be able to see the lines otherwise, and you might flash your panties if you have a normal pair." The mother nodded. "Don't worry, Victoria is on the way so it'll only take a second."

"I-I'm not wearing a thong!" Vivio whispered in a nervous tone.

"Oh grow up," Nanoha teased her with a touch to her nose. "You won't even tell you're wearing one."

"A-anyway," Vivio looked back at the mirror. "What about my breasts? They…" She hopped in place, frowning at the complete lack of support. "Ugh."

Nanoha couldn't help but giggle again, making Vivio demand not to be teased. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry." Nanoha waved her hands in an apologetic motion. "We'll have to get you a special bra for this dress." Turning the girl around, she inspected the revealed skin. "Looks like we'll have to go the adhesive route."

"Adhesive?"

"I'll show you later, it's a bra that doesn't have straps or go around to your back." With that confusing statement, Nanoha crossed her arms to give Vivio a once over again. "Is this the one you want?"

"Yes," Vivio agreed instantly. "I love it."

"Okay," Nanoha put both hands on her hips. "We'll get you some matching things and complete the outfit. I'll put the other dresses up, you change back okay?" She got a hug for a reply and the mother couldn't help but smile to herself.

Vivio looked around the store nervously, her eyes skimming the different type of earrings available to her. Nanoha was beside her, bent over slightly to look at the display case closer to eye level. A few different types were pointed out and the younger girl finally decided on a simple pair of emerald studs. Only a few moments later and Vivio found herself sitting down on an uncomfortable stool, waiting for the store clerk to finish prepping a gun looking device that she didn't trust at all. "This won't hurt, right?" She had to ask. Pain wasn't new to her, having been beaten up more than a few times in sparring sessions, but she had developed her mother's fear of needles one hundred fold. The thought of having them shot through her ears was a little less than pleasing, and each second that ticked by made her question her choice of having this done.

"It will sting for a second, then won't hurt at all." The clerk replied simply, putting a small dot on Vivios' ears to make sure she was centered. Putting the gun by the blonde's head, she smiled. "Ready?"

"Yes," Vivio closed her eyes, heard a clicking sound rather loudly in her ear, and jumped slightly at the feeling. When the woman pulled away from her, she meekly opened her eyes and blinked a few times. "That's it?"

"Mmhmm." The woman moved to Vivio's second ear and repeated the process. "There, all done."

Vivio nodded and slid off the stool in favor of looking into the mirror, turning her head both ways to see the sparkling gems now in her ears. "Hey... they're pretty. What do you think, Mama?"

Nanoha gave an approving smile. "They look great. I'm glad you picked the green ones instead of the diamonds."

"Well, I like green." Vivio walked over to her mother but stumbled a little bit. "Oh wow..."

"I felt a little dizzy my first time too," Nanoha mused with a teasing grin. "Here, let's get you out so you can sit down a little bit." After paying, Nanoha lead Vivio outside of the store in the strip mall and helped her sit down onto a bench. "Give it a second, just please don't faint like Fate-chan did."

"She fainted?" Vivio seemed highly amused at the mental image.

"Oh yes, it was the cutest thing ever. She stood up from the chair, took two steps, and fell right onto her face. Managed to knock off a woman's shoe next to her, not quite sure how."

Vivio covered her mouth and gave a small giggle. "Wow, I never knew." Before she could say anything else she heard a familiar voice call her name. Turning to look, she saw Syn walking over to her with the usual grin on her face. "Syn!"

"Hey-ya." She waved lightly. "Hello, Nanoha-san."

"Hello, Syn," Nanoha replied back in turn. Her eyes quickly glanced at the two girls and her smile turned into a knowing look. "Vivio, I need to go in that store for a while; stay seated for a bit okay?" She got a nod and the mother excused herself in favor or heading into a store she didn't have any interest in so her daughter could have some privacy.

Syn sat down next to Vivio and leaned forward a bit. "You feel a bit awkward?"

"A little, but I'm not going to run away from you over it." Vivio smiled at her friend.

"Thanks... Sorry about this, by the way."

Vivio shook her head, her breath fogging as she spoke. "Don't be. You did what your heart wanted you to, so I can't get upset over that." She gave a small chuckle. "But did you have to spring it on me right after I was recovering from Einhart?"

"Yeah," Syn gave a light laugh as well and rubbed her hands together between her knees. "That all happened so fast."

"...Ne, Syn?" The blonde looked over at her friend again. "Can I ask... what really made you suddenly do that?"

Syn let out a loud sigh, the white mist fanning away from her face as she exhaled. "It was like I told you... We've been together for so long, I just never realized how close we were until something could come between us."

"Even if I did date Einhart, she wouldn't come between us. We're all still friends."

"Not just that..." Syn replied back softly. "It's... I just want to be the one closest to you, you know? Like your parents are, I suppose."

"My parents?"

"They were best friends for so long, always there for each other... To the point where you started calling them both your mama, even though you knew that Fate-san really wasn't. That kind of relationship with a friend is special, and... when I thought about having it, I could only picture you by my side."

Vivio nodded slowly and looked down at the ground between her feet. "So when Einhart asked to take that spot...?"

"I got... jealous." Syn snorted. "Yeah, me, jealous. Who would'a thought?" The joke made the two give a small laugh. "I'm sorry, I know that this probably made you see our friendship in a different way."

"No, you're still the same. Well, a little different because of you wanting to make our friendship a little... deeper." The word made her cheeks color slightly. "But you're still my best friend, and I know you wouldn't ever do anything to take advantage of that, right?"

"Of course. Hey, I never even thought about it until this happened. I guess I was just... waiting for it to come naturally."

"Yeah." Vivio smiled over at her. "Thanks for telling me."

"Welcome." The two gripped each other's hands for a moment to give a small reassuring squeeze. "I talked to Einhart about this as well. She knows I asked you and is okay with it. She wanted me to follow my feelings just like she did, and we both promised that if you picked one of us or not, we would still be good friends and support each other."

"Wow, what did I do in a past life to deserve you two?"

"Ruled a country?" The remark got Syn a slap upside the head. "Hehe, I'm sorry, I had to- did you get your ears pierced?"

Vivio rolled her eyes. "Thanks for noticing."

Syn smirked and stood up when her mother came walking over to her along with Nanoha. "Seems like it's time for us to split up. I'll talk to you later?"

"Mmm, I'll call you later... with my answer, okay?"

"No pressure." Syn told her honestly.

After a quick greeting and a little small talk to Syn's mother, Vivio and Nanoha said their goodbyes and started walking down the rest of the strip mall. "Anything else you want to get while here, Vivio?" Nanoha asked curiously.

"Ah, well," Vivio put a finger to her chin. "I need some shoes since all I have are sneakers... and a purse since I won't have any pockets...I don't know, maybe a bracelet or a necklace or something?"

Nanoha hummed. "I think that would be wise." With a bump of her hips, she sent Vivio steering into a shoe store.

"What kind do I get?" Vivio mused while looking. "I don't need heels, but my purse should match my shoes as well, right?"

The mother grinned to herself. "I see." Vivio didn't catch the knowing tone in her voice, so Nanoha let it go. "There are some pretty flat shoes, or maybe some with one inch heels if we can't find any to match..."

Only a few minutes passed before Vivio found a pair on display that caught her eye. "Mama, look at this." Holding up the simple black shoe, she nodded to herself. "It matches my dress perfectly, doesn't it?"

"Sure does." Nanoha gave her approval. "And it's even flat bottom, wow you got lucky these are really hard to find in dress shoes. They have purses over on the wall over there as well, go take a look while I get this in your size okay?"

"Thank you, Mama." Vivio went to the far wall of the store and skimmed the many different types of purses hanging on hooks. '_I need a black one..._' Skimming more, she looked at a few closer before grabbing a fifth one that seemed to fit her needs. '_It's not too large, looks pretty, is kind of formal... I like it. Not like I'm going to wear it anywhere else besides the dance, so it's okay to buy it just for this reason, right?_' Taking it, she turned to head back to her mother, who was just being handed a box of shoes. "Mama, I want this one."

"Oh, nice choice." Nanoha complimented while leading them to the check out. "I have some jewelry at home if you want to go through it?"

"Well, I'd rather..." Vivio shifted nervously, knowing full well that her mother had already spent a ton of money on her today. "I'd rather have my own... I'll pay for it with my allowance over the next few weeks, I promise!"

The mother giggled and lead Vivio out of the store with their bags in tow. "Come on, let's get you something nice."


	2. Chapter 2

Falling face first onto my bed, I looked over the sheets and to the bags laying on the floor nearby. My dress was currently being washed by Nanoha-mama, and everything else was already starting to come together. I was almost done preparing for the dance, but still had the major problem of deciding which friend to take with me. Rolling onto my back, I looked up at Kris flying above me. "My legs are sore from walking," I told him, smiling as he landed on my shoulder to give my ear a soft pat in an attempt to comfort me. "To top it off, I spent all my savings and allowance for the next three weeks on that necklace." Leaning my head to the side, I looked at my companion and asked him a question that had been bugging me ever since my jewelry had been rung up. "Why do things have to be so expensive?" No answer came to me, other than a shaking of his head. I looked back up at the ceiling and moved my feet together to peel off my sock using my toes. "One more day to make up my mind… and I still don't know what I should do…"

**Winter Festival II**

**By: Satashi**

"I think you already know." Nanoha's voice made Vivio look up from her bed and over at her door, where her mother was standing with two mugs of hot chocolate. "I thought you could use a little warm up after being in the cold all day."

"Thank you," Vivio sat up and accepted the offered mug. "Although, what do you mean I already know?"

Nanoha took a moment to sip her drink before replying. "I watched you today and saw what decisions you made while shopping. I don't know your friends as well as you do, of course, but to me it seemed like you were already leaning towards one of them by the time we were done." She looked at her daughter while taking another sip.

"Think so?" Vivio looked down at her mug, rolling this information over in her head. "Then why don't I know what to tell them?"

"Because it's never easy to tell a friend how you feel, even if it's a positive response. For you, having to give two replies, one of which won't be happy, I can understand not wanting to think about it." Placing on hand on Vivio's back, Nanoha gave her encouragement. "You will make the right choice; just think about why we spent all day shopping, and why you picked out what you did. That will lead you to your answer."

"... Okay," Vivio gave a weak smile. "I'll think about it."

"Drink, before it gets cold," Nanoha advised before standing.

"Yes ma'am," Vivio took a small sip to show that she would before her mother left the room and closed the door softly in her wake. "Think about why I chose what I did, huh Kris?" Her device raised one of its hands to agree.

Another small sip was taken and Vivio held the warm mug between her hands while staring into it. "I bought a dress, a purse, shoes, got my ears pierced, and even got a necklace... I wanted to answer their request with as much determination as they showed me. Einhart, who spent so much time to write me a letter so she could figure out her feelings towards me... and Syn, who wants to be my number one." Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath. "Why did I pick the things I did?" Her eyes went to the bags on her floor and one hand reached into a navy blue plastic bag to pull out a jewelry case. Opening it up, she stared at the glittering silver necklace that matched the metal of her earrings.

'_I bought this because I wanted to do my best at showing them how seriously I was taking their words..._' Tracing a finger along the cool metal, she tilted her head to the side slightly. '_But even so, just answering them honestly would have been enough to show that I was serious... This was a little overboard for that._' Closing the case, Vivio drank some more of the warm beverage and sighed out. '_I really... wanted to look nice for this. I've been on quite a few dates before, but each time I just went as myself, jeans and a shirt, sometimes going as far as wearing a nice skirt but never enough to go shopping for things I would never wear outside of a date or formal occasion._'

Vivio looked over at her closet door, where her dress was hanging. '_I even picked out something so revealing..._' A small blush crept over her cheeks. '_Because I wanted to... show off a little bit, to really enjoy myself on this._' Her fingers went to touch her sore ears gently. '_And getting earrings, just to try and make myself look pretty... Even though neither of them would mind if I didn't even put on makeup. They both have their reasons for asking me... Einhart, who honestly has romantic feelings for me and wants to show me that they are coming from herself and not her past... And Syn, who wants to be the closest to me, even though she knows it will take time to get there._' Finishing her cup, she sat it on her headboard of the bed, next to the empty wassail mug from the previous night. _'__Syn would want me to be myself more than anything, she didn't even notice I had my ears pierced until we talked for several minutes... I knew she would be like that... same with my necklace, she wouldn't even notice unless it was pointed out to her..._' Vivio gave a small smile to herself. '_Nanoha-mama noticed this when I was still just shopping for myself. I picked the earrings and necklace out because I wanted Einhart to notice them on me... I guess that's what mama meant when she said I already chose._'

Leaning back on her bed, she allowed Kris to land on her chest as stand there while she thought. '_They are both my precious friends, but... Syn is... a friend. More than anything, she is someone I can go to, who will always understand and be there for me. I don't want to put that at risk._' Moving her hand to her chest, she let Kris walk onto it so she could bring him into her vision. "I think I actually want to explore the possibilities with Einhart, Kris." She told her device, getting a nod back.

"You're right," Vivio nodded, moving to touch his tiny hand with her finger tip. "I should call Einhart and let her know. Dial for me?" A monitor appeared before her and her friend's name flashed across it. "Oh wow, I actually feel a little nervous now..."

"Vivio!" Einhart's voice came up, sounding as if she had just ran to make it to her bed room for some privacy before answering.

"Hello," Vivio greeted, looking up at the screen. "You're on sound only."

"Ah, I... I was just training and..."

"Come on, video please? I want to see you right now."

"Oh... um... I am wet and..."

Vivio raised an eyebrow, knowing she could be seen. "I thought you were training?"

"Ah! I mean..." A small bit of silence came and Einhart's image finally came to the screen, revealing a girl soaking wet. A towel was held to her chest and the one in her hair had come loose, letting her bright hair spill off one side of her body while not the other. The girl's skin was still slightly pink from the hot shower, and from what Vivio could tell, a bit of shampoo was still on the girl's neck. "Uhm... I look a mess right now..."

Vivio couldn't help but smile broadly at her friend, knowing that this was driving the normally calm and collected Einhart crazy. "You look cute." Her words made the girl blush and look down. "Should I let you go?"

"Eh? No, no, I wouldn't have ran if I didn't want...to..." Seeing that cat-like smile, Einhart admitted defeat and simply plopped onto her computer desk chair. "I ran from the shower to talk to you, okay?" She looked up at Vivio, paused a moment, and then blushed, looking down.

"I know, but it's so much _fun_ making you say it." Vivio countered, getting a pout mixed with a glare. "Uhm, the reason I called you..." Vivio sat up, making her screen move as well. Reaching upwards, she took the corners of the floating monitor and turned it to show her dress hanging on the door. "This is my dress for the dance." She let Einhart take it in a moment before turning the screen back to her.

"Does... does that mean...?"

Vivio took a deep breath. "I would be flattered if you let me accompany you to the dance, Einhart." A long silence came over them, paired with Einhart's shocked, yet pleased look.

"I...I don't know what to say right now..." The girl finally breathed out, laughing just a bit. "Wow... Vivio, thank you, this means so much to me..."

"I know," Vivio crossed her legs on the bed and held onto her ankles. "I'm... kind of interested to see where this leads... I mean, this could either be something really nice or really awkward later on."

"Yes," Einhart nodded. "I thought about that a long time before I managed to ask you."

"What made you finally do it?"

"I... didn't want to look back and regret it." Einhart gave her an honest smile. "And I would feel guilty having these feelings and you not knowing."

"I understand." Vivio smiled back and the two simply looked at each other for another few moments before laughing at the silence. "Okay... I'll let you finish showering."

Einhart looked to the side. "Uhm, before you go..." She glanced back at Vivio's curious face before blushing more and averting her eyes once again. "Your earrings... look really nice on you."

"Thank you, Einhart." Vivio reached up to touch her left ear. "I'm happy you noticed." Her friend gave her one more shy smile before the screens cut off. Falling back onto her bed, Vivio looked up at the ceiling and gave a goofy grin. "I wonder if calling her before I go to sleep will become a habit?" Kris landed on her forehead and bent over to look into his master's eyes. "Ne, Kris, I can act like a girl, right?" The bunny raised his hand and nodded, making Vivio smile happily.

~**~

Vivio took a deep breath while pacing across her room, the afternoon sun making her shadow pass on the floor steadily. "Okay... I just need to tell her the truth, she will understand." Moving to sit at her desk, Vivio looked down at Kris. "Call Syn, please." The familiar monitor came up and after a few moments, Syn's face appeared. "...Hey Syn."

The girl instantly sighed and sat down on her bed. "I understand, it's okay."

"...I haven't even told you yet."

"I know that voice, I've been in trouble with you plenty of times to know when you're saying something you wish you didn't have to." Vivio made no protest so she went on. "Really, it's okay. We both knew this would happen to one of us, and I... Well, I'm not good with dances anyway, you know? Saves me from embarrassing myself." She gave a playful grin, which made Vivio ease up a little.

"Syn, I just want to say this: Einhart and I may be giving this a try, but it doesn't mean that you're any less important to me. I love you very much, and care for you deeply... Just, not in a romantic way. You're my best friend, and nothing can ever change that."

"Wow, never thought the 'just friends' line would ever actually make me feel better." Syn's light joke made Vivio smile at her. "Hey, I know you probably feel bad about this, but this is still and important time for you... so go get ready okay? The dance is tomorrow night, and I'm sure you have things you need to do."

"Are you okay...?"

"Yes." Syn poked her monitor. "As your friend, I'm telling you to have the time of your life... I was worrying over nothing, you just said I'll always be your best friend, right?"

"Always."

"Then don't make me embarrass myself for nothing. Have fun at the dance, and tell me all about it when you get back."

"Aren't you going to go?"

Syn grinned. "You know me, I wouldn't be caught dead in a dress. I was going to borrow one of my dad's suits to go in."

Vivio laughed. "That sounds like you. I'll see you later okay Syn?"

"Sure thing." Syn gave a thumbs up and cut off her monitor. Leaning back in her chair, she gave a soft sigh and looked over at the glittering, strapless aqua-blue dress laying on her bed.

~**~

"Are you sure this is okay?" Vivio asked nervously, looking over at her aunt Hayate as the base of her nails were pushed back with an instrument she didn't trust at all.

"Sure shooting," Hayate replied back easily, inspecting Vivio's hand and the nails she was working on.

Nanoha laughed and propped her cheek up on her palm to watch her daughter and friend across the table. "Relax, Vivio. Hayate-chan did Fate-chan and mine's make-up ever since we were ten. She's amazing at things like this."

Looking at her aunt, Vivio winced slightly yet again as the cuticles of her nails were pushed. "So why are you ripping my fingernails apart just for fake nails?"

"Because I love you," Hayate replied back in a sugary sweet tone. "You're lucky, it would cost you a week's worth of your allowance to go somewhere to get this done." After inspecting the nails, she got a short strip of something that looked like sandpaper. "Time to buff."

"Why are you buffing my nails if you're going to glue something on top of them?"

Hayate looked over at Nanoha. "You see, if you let me do this for her when she was younger, she wouldn't be so chatty."

Nanoha grinned. "You wanted to use her as a dress-up doll." To the teen's horror, Hayate did not make any effort to deny this fact.

Before she was able to say anything, Vivio wrinkled her nose when a putrid odor came to her. "Ugh, what is _that_?"

"Glue, just wait until you smell the hardener." Hayate grinned at Vivio as she dabbed a small bit of glue onto her nail before pressing on the fake one. "There, next." A few minutes later and Hayate couldn't help but laugh as Nanoha had to get a fan to blow on Vivio's face to keep her from gagging on the scent of the chemicals used. Once the nails were done, and a French finish was put on them, Vivio looked at her hands proudly. "Anything else?" Hayate asked eagerly. "Want some glitter?"

"Really?" Vivio asked curiously, glancing at her nails. They were noticeably long, but not unattractively so, and looked natural to her. White tips were on the end of each nail, and seemed a little plain to her eyes. "Can you put green glitter on the ends?"

"Coming right up!" Hayate squealed out, reaching into her large kit.

Almost three hours later, Vivio looked in the mirror and almost couldn't believe it was her she was looking at. Her hair was curled, making her normally long hair dance a little below her shoulders. Her nails were perfectly rounded and sparkling with a light that matched her silver necklace and earrings as well. The chosen black dress fit over her body smoothly, shocking her at how she appeared in it. "Wow..."

"You're beautiful," Nanoha breathed out, trying hard to fight back the urge to take even more pictures of her grown up girl. When said daughter shifted, Nanoha reached out and smacked Vivio's hand. "Stop pulling at your underwear!"

"It feels like _floss_!" Vivio whispered back in a hushed whisper so Hayate couldn't hear them.

"Give it a bit, you'll forget all about them," Nanoha whispered back. "Don't embarrass yourself in front of your date." The words struck home and Vivio stood up straight again, cheeks red. "Okay," Nanoha spoke up again. "Nove is driving Einhart and you to the dance right? Should I pick you two up?"

"No, Nove said she would take us both ways. She has to stay up late for a report anyway so she said it would be a welcomed break from it."

"I see," Nanoha pouted a bit. "Well, remember to enjoy yourself. You don't get many dances, so go all out okay?"

"Mama, you're embarrassing me..." Vivio couldn't help but smile anyway. Before she could say anything else, the doorbell rang, making Vivio go stiff. "That must be her, am I ready? Is my makeup right?"

"You're perfect." Nanoha insisted, handing Vivio her purse. "Just three pictures, I promise, okay?" The doorbell rang again and Vivio nodded, pushing her mother to answer the door. "Good evening, Einhart!" She greeted cheerfully. "My, you look wonderful tonight."

"Thank you, Nanoha-san," The girl replied softly. "I hope I'm not early."

"Not at all, come in." Moving to usher the girl in, Nanoha closed the door and lead her to the living room and Vivio.

The blonde looked at Einhart and felt as if she was looking at a completely new person. A green Chinese style dress covered her body tightly with a long slit on one side to allow her to walk. Two inch heels were on her feet, also matching her dress and paired with an ankle bracelet. The girl's hair was in a single ponytail with braids looking back into it and interlacing down the flowing hair. Her neck was covered by the top of her dress, making her look even more refined that she already was. Finally her earrings were noticed, hanging down and jiggling with each step she took, accented by gold that matched the design on her dress.

Vivio had to try twice to finally give a compliment on her friend's looks. Once they got over the initial shock and awe factor of each other being dressed up, Hayate forced them both together so they could have their picture taken, many more times than the promised three, before Vivio finally managed to get away from her mother and friend. Now outside, they walked to the car and got in, Vivio being complimented simply by Nove.

"Thanks again," Einhart whispered as they were driven to the church for the dance. "Being here right now... makes me really happy."

"Me too..." Vivio agreed with her friend honestly.

Once they were at the church, Vivio carefully got out of the car and helped Einhart out as well. A wave and thanks was given to their driver and soon the two found themselves outside of the church. Looking at the open doors and hearing the music from inside, the two looked at each other and smiled once more.

"Well," Einhart managed out, her breath crystallizing as she spoke. "Shall we?" Offering her hand, she felt a little nervous when Vivio not only accepted it, but interlaced their fingers and pulled her a little closer to show they were together. Upon entering, they looked around the large church ball room and laughed to themselves. "Doesn't look like the church, does it?"

Vivio looked at their school banners hanging, as well as several wall scrolls, posters, and hanging decorations proclaiming the winter festival dance. "I feel like we're at school." The people around them were already scattered apart, showing that they arrived about midway through the flow of people that would come. A live band was on center stage, playing an upbeat, Christmas time song for background music. Vivio smiled lightly and stepped closer to Einhart so their shoulders were touching. "I don't see any of our close friends... I feel like we're all alone here." Her words made her blush and a quick stumble for a recovery made the blonde only embarrass herself more. "I mean, I feel like it's just us here, I mean.... you know what I mean." Looking down, Vivio finally felt the nervousness of her date sink in. '_Oh my god, I'm embarrassing myself, and we just started!_'

Einhart felt a little weight come off her shoulders at the sight of Vivio fumbling shyly over her inadvertent flirt. More people were coming in behind them, so she took a step forward, pulling gently on Vivio's hand to get her to follow. "Come on, let's get away from the door before you change your mind." The teasing tone made Vivio lighten up and walk next to her.

"Hey, I won't leave you. We decided on this together... Well, kind of together..." Vivio gave a small laugh and was joined by her friend. "Anyway, we're here to have fun, so let's have fun... What do you normally do at a formal dance anyway? We can't exactly get down in heels."

"Socialize, hang out with friends, you know." Einhart looked away slightly. "Enjoy being with the person you're with."

"Well, I am." Vivio's words made Einhart look back up at her and smile.

The music slowed to a stop and the lead singer of the band stepped to the microphone to address the crowd. "Hello Everyone," The man greeted them energetically. "My name's Raiser with the Fon Filia band, and we'll be your musical entertainment tonight. Let's start off with something you may be a little used to. Enjoy yourselves everybody!" Stepping back a bit, he let his band start playing a slow, soothing song.

One by one, the couples started gathering on the floor for a slow dance. Vivio looked over at Einhart, clearly noticing her fidgeting and longing gaze at the dancing section. '_She waited for this for so long, but she isn't trying to rush me into anything... So much better than the guys who just dragged me to the dance floor in order to grope at me._' Taking the initiative, Vivio stepped in front of Einhart and held her dress up slightly, giving a small curtsy. "A dance, milady?" She teased happily, getting a pleased smile in return.

"Why yes," Einhart answered at once, giggling as the two went to the dance floor together. Once at an open spot, Einhart put her hands on Vivio's hips instinctively, leaving the slightly taller girl to drape her arms around Einhart's neck. "Where did you learn to dance?" The silver-green haired girl asked quietly as they swayed to the music.

"My mamas taught me when I first started going on dates, just in case I needed to. Fate-mama taught me to lead, and Nanoha-mama taught me to follow." Vivio looked down into Einhart's eyes and couldn't help but give a teasing grin. "I never noticed how short you were."

Einhart almost faltered her dancing, cheeks coloring darkly, noticeable even under her makeup. "H-Hey, you're just in heels."

Turning them around happily, Vivio moved with the soft tune while teasing her friend. "You're in heels... mine are flat." The revelation made Einhart look down slightly, staring at Vivio's necklace. "Well, it's okay. I kind of like this."

"Meanie," Einhart protested, glancing back up at the woman who was just a few inches taller. Vivio gave a soft giggle and continued to dance with her, not stopping when the song swapped into another one without hesitating. Their motions changed just a little to adjust to the new song and they began moving again. "You know," Einhart spoke up again after a few moments. "I like you hair curled."

"Really?" Vivio blinked, not expecting a compliment out of the blue like that. "Thank you... yours is really pretty too, but it's weird not seeing your twin tails. Not a bad kind of weird, though. You look... really mature."

"Thank you," Einhart seemed pleased with this. "What made you pierce your ears?" Moving just a little closer, she inspected the emeralds that glittered in the turning dots of light spinning on the floor.

"I..." Vivio hesitated, almost losing her rhythm dancing. "I don't know...I just...kind of wanted..." Einhart looked back at her, smiling shyly at the stammering. "I just wanted to look good for you..."

"Silly," Einhart breathed out a small laugh, clearly happy at the words. The music stopped, leaving everyone on the floor to clap polity for them. The leader spoke again, proclaiming to test their dancing knowledge in the next song before breaking into a waltz.

"Seriously?" Vivio asked, amazed. "Does anyone know how to waltz these days?"

"I do," Einhart revealed while several couples left the floor, leaving only a few left to take the challenge. "Do you?"

"Kind of, not really?" Vivio answered lamely.

"Just follow me," Einhart took Vivio's hands and placed them properly.

"Wha? N-no, Einhart, no!" Her words being ignored, Einhart bounced lightly to show Vivio the beat before moving quickly, taking her along for the ride. "I- I'm going to step on you."

Einhart laughed happily at Vivio's scared look and continued to lead her through the dance, turning and helping her when she almost fumbled. "Just like that, now let's repeat it." Again, she hesitated just long enough to get the beat once more. This time, Vivio followed a little less clumsily and managed to get through it with only one mistake of stepping on Einhart's foot. By the third rotation, the two finally fell in sync with each other and they shared a grin as they moved. When the song ended, several people clapped loudly for the scant few still on the dance floor before another song came to dance to. "You did well," Einhart complimented.

"I looked like an idiot," Vivio replied lamely, taking Einhart's hand and leading her away from the floor so she could collect herself.

"Would you like some punch or anything?"

Vivio beamed at her date. "Yes I would, very much so."

"Just a moment," Einhart squeezed Vivio's hand and trotted off as fast as she could in her heels to fetch the desired beverage.

Sitting, Vivio fanned herself lightly to calm herself down from the dance. "That was amazing," A voice came up, making the blond look up and to the side at a man standing there. "You and your friend really got that one down."

"Ah, thank you," Vivio chuckled shyly. "I messed up plenty of times, though."

"Nah." The man offered his hand. "May I have a dance with you, if your friend doesn't mind?"

"I do mind, actually." Einhart's voice made the two look over to see the girl holding two drinks. "I'm sorry, but Vivio said she was tired and wanted to rest a bit." Offering the drink to Vivio, she smiled at the man. "So would you mind letting her rest please?"

Taking the hint, the man nodded. "Alright, sorry about that." He gave a small wave and went back to his table of friends who seemed to be snickering at him now.

Einhart sat by Vivio at their small table and looked into her punch glass. "I'm sorry about that; I didn't have any right to turn him down for you..."

"Ah, its okay. I didn't know him."

"Yes, but still..." She shifted in her seat lightly. "I... felt a little protective of you... I'm sorry, I'm rushing things."

"N-no, its okay." Vivio blushed and looked down as well. "You were really polite about it and... I didn't mind it like my last date... He was a jerk and got really defensive about the whole ordeal when someone was talking to me. I kind of like how you handled it."

Einhart sipped the drink and nodded. "Even still, I don't want to rush things. This is our first date, and we don't even know where it will go from here."

"So far," Vivio turned to her friend and smiled. "I like it. You respect me, and even though it felt right to you because you've felt this way for a while, you were really polite and even offered him a chance later to dance with me after I rested if I wanted to... That was really sweet of you."

Einhart scratched her cheek with a finger lightly. "Th-thank you..."

Vivio grinned. "Are you getting shy on me again?"

"N-no!" Einhart looked from her cup to Vivio and back again before turning it up and gulping it down. A small hiccup came and she eyed the glass with an odd appreciation.

The blonde held back a giggle and took a sip of the punch before making a face and swallowing thickly. A light cough came and she looked at it in shock. "Wow, they spiked it already? It hasn't been twenty minutes since the dance started!"

"Spiked?" Einhart seemed confused, looking at her empty cup.

"Don't tell me you couldn't taste it?"

The words made Einhart a little nervous. "I-I've never had alcohol before so I don't know what it tastes like..." she eyed Vivio. "Why do you know what it tastes like?"

Vivio waved her hands defensively. "It's not like that! You see, Fate-mama is really fond of rum to drink when she has Signum-san over. One time I asked her for a drink when I was younger, so she fixed me a mix of rum, vodka, and another type of alcohol before putting it in milk for me... I gulped it and promptly threw up moments later... She was leaning against the door frame of the bathroom and asked me what I learned that day."

"And I thought Nanoha-san was the strict one..."

"Fate-mama has a certain few things that she doesn't mess around with."

Einhart felt happy at hearing this new bit of information about Vivio's home life. "Like what?"

"Well... She gets really nervous when I go out on dates. She calls me constantly when she can to make sure I'm alright. Nanoha-mama may be stricter at times, but Fate-mama seems to worry about me the most. I think it's because Nanoha-mama is with me so much more, she trusts me to make my own decisions..."

"I see," Einhart nodded. "They really love you, huh?"

"Very much so," Vivio answered happily. A new song started playing and the blond stood up, offering her hand. "Dance with me?"

Taking the hand, Einhart stood as well and returned the look. "Certainly." Moving to the dance floor, the two began to move to the music once more. "I'm so glad you agreed to come with me."

"Yeah," Vivio couldn't help but feel a little warm by Einhart's soft words. "I'm glad you asked me. I'll have to frame that letter."

"H-hey now..." Moving her head to rest her forehead on Vivio's shoulder, she tried to hide the blush. Vivio shifted, taking the motion the wrong way, and slid her hands around Einhart's neck to pull her close. "Ah...?"

"No?" Vivio asked, confused. Parting slightly, she looked down at her friend's beet red face.

"I...I don't mind... if you don't? I didn't want to... rush things."

Vivio giggled and hugged Einhart close. "Slow dancing isn't rushing things." Her date nodded against her neck and wrapped her hands around Vivio's back, feeling the skin under her palms as she did so. "But," Vivio grinned. "Sliding your hands under my dress is."

"Ah! I'm so sorry!" Einhart tried to pull away but Vivio held her close so she couldn't, laughing contently into her ear

"Hehe, I know you didn't mean to." She felt the hands go around her once more, this time making sure not to go under the loose fabric that showed off Vivio's back. "But expect teasing about this tomorrow."

"Mou..." Einhart felt herself being hugged and she rested her cheek on Vivio's shoulder, trying to forget her slip up. "Why do you tease me so much?"

"Because," Vivio answered simply, moving them to the music that turned into a new song. "Just because." Her hand moved along Einhart's shoulder and traced a finger along the girl's neck.

"That feels nice," The shorter girl spoke softly, voice barely heard over the music.

"Does it?" Vivio mused curiously, finding a small patch of hair on the base of Einhart's neck that managed to escape the ponytail/braid combo. Carefully she twirled it around her finger and felt her friend suddenly hold her tighter, forgetting to keep dancing for a brief moment. "Silly girl," Vivio teased, getting a soft murmer. The hair was twirled again before being freed, only to have the finger trail down the middle of Einhart's neck. "I've never flirted like this before," Vivio voice her worries quietly. "I hope I'm doing it right."

"You are," Einhart pulled back so she could look up at Vivio's face. The two moved around the dance floor in their own little small circle, blushing at each other and sharing small giggles when they would come close to faltering in their motions. "I'm happy," she revealed after a few more songs and taking a break back at their table. "That this isn't awkward."

"Yeah," Vivio agreed contently. "I never thought I'd be dancing with you like that, but it's nice. You smell good."

Einhart couldn't help but laugh. "Nove actually sprayed me with it when I wasn't looking. She said I'd thank her later."

"Nove has perfume?" Vivio looked amazed.

"I know, right?" The two shared another laugh together. "She really surprises me sometimes. It's like she's an older sister, then suddenly becomes like my mother for a moment."

"She's great," Vivio agreed easily. "I'm happy I met her."

"Me too," the other girl agreed. "I wish more of our friends could have come tonight, though. It's a little strange to be friends with people who aren't even in school. It makes times like this a little weird."

"I don't mind," Vivio commented contently. "In a way, I'm kind of glad Rio and Corona are with their grandparents for vacation. It gives us a chance to really enjoy our date."

"Which is slowly coming to an end," Einhart realized after looking around. "Seems like people are starting to split off."

"Seems so..." The blonde checked the clock on her cell phone after retrieving it from her purse. "Oh wow, the dance ends in half an hour."

"Guess we should call her?" Einhart watched Vivio reluctantly nod and make the call. After the short conversation ended, she stood up and smiled at Vivio. "I'm going to ask you this time."

"Don't even need to," Vivio mused, taking Einhart's hand and going back to the dance floor. Instantly, she felt hair at her neck so she rested her cheek against her date's head. Slow shifting was made to the song, and Vivio felt the warm palms glide over her back once more. A gentle rubbing was made before Einhart's hands settled down, making Vivio once again hug her close for a brief moment. "Before it gets embarrassing to say this in front of other people, I really enjoyed this night."

"Same," Einhart's voice whispered into Vivio's ear. "Thank you so much for giving me this chance."

"Hey, we'll have more too, right?" Her words earned her a hug. "I'll take that as a yes."

"Mmn." They stayed together when the singer of the band announced the last song, and kept moving for several moments even after that one ended as well. Finally splitting up, they grinned at each other and reluctantly went back to their table to get their things. "I'm sorry I don't have a coat or anything to offer you," Einhart spoke as they went outside, catching sight of Nove's car almost at once.

"Don't be; I like the cute, shy, girly thing you have going on."

"Don't tease me..." Einhart protested yet again, voice contracting her words. Once they were inside the warm car, they greeted their friend and driver, who promptly took to teasing them on the way home. Once at Vivio's house, Einhart opened the door and helped Vivio out, holding her hand as they went to the front door. "I don't want to sound like a broken record, but thanks again... It was wonderful."

"Very." Vivio agreed, smiling down at her date.

"So..." Einhart blushed, realizing that they were, in fact, standing at the doorstep, at the date's closing.

"So," Vivio agreed, shyly meeting Einhart's eyes.

Each girl gave a shy, nervous laugh before taking a tiny step forward to get closer. "Let's do it again, soon?" Einhart asked quietly while taking Vivio's left hand in hers. A nod came, making the girl shyly look down and bring Vivio's palm to her mouth, where she gave it a tender kiss, eyes looking through the fingers.

Vivio felt her breath catch briefly before grinning at Einhart, moving her hand to take her friend's. "I don't know about the past," Vivio whispered to her teasingly. "But a kiss to the palm these days means loving passion." Her words made Einhart gasp out, eyes wide. "But this once... I think it will be okay." Bringing Einhart's shaking hand to her mouth, Vivio gave her palm a kiss as well. The silver-green haired girl shook slightly, blushing hard at the act. Not done yet, Vivio placed their palms together and interlaced their fingers.

'_Passion..._' Einhart thought, her vision swimming and heartbeat pounding in her throat. '_Kissing my palm... putting them together... lacing our fingers..._' The thought process hit its peak, and Einhart gave Vivio one last frantically embarrassed look before suddenly sagging forward.

"Ein? Einhart!?" Vivio caught the girl and looked down at the now peaceful face of the sleeping girl. "Mou... fainting on me..." Shifting her, she carried the girl back to the car, where Nove was already getting out. "She passed out," Vivio revealed, amusement laced in her voice. "I think it was too much for her."

Nove smirked and opened the passenger door so Vivio could lay her down in the now reclined seat. "Poor thing was building up to it. She was pacing and panicking for the past few days nonstop. I guess your little tease finally made her break."

Vivio took a moment to observe the resting Einhart, an almost unnoticeable smile still on the girl's lips. "Tell her I said goodnight for me?"

"After I tease her," Nove promised.

"Thanks for the ride." Vivio closed the car door carefully and hugged her friend. "See you at practice day after tomorrow."

"You bet!" Nove called while getting back in the car.

Now alone, Vivio went back to her house and let herself in, shocked to see the living room television on. Walking over to it, she saw Nanoha laying on the couch smiling up at her. "Mama?"

"I wanted to make sure you got home okay," Nanoha told her simply. "You're practically glowing, was the date good?"

Vivio clasped her hands behind her back and nodded happily. "Mmn! It was the best!"


End file.
